Formation optimization for cooperative localization based on moving long baseline with two leader AUVs

A cooperative localization method for multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) based on moving long baseline (MLBL) and range observation was presented, the internal and external information was fused to locate the follower. Considered the influence of AUV formation on the localization performance, an evaluation criterion based on Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) and Fisher information matrix (FIM) was developed to derive the optimal formation configuration. The optimal formation of cooperative localization with two leaders was studied, and the optimal formation with the separation angle of 90° between the leaders and follower was found out. Simulations were performed to evaluate the conclusions from two aspects of range and separation angle, respectively.